Boston
by S.E. Ripley
Summary: Reid goes to Boston to see his brother and some old friends. Luke comes along.
1. Chapter 1

"Our flight lands around five o'clock," Reid was saying into his cell phone.

Luke stood awkwardly beside him, leaning back on the kitchen counter with his arms folded protectively over his chest. He was trying not to frown but it wasn't working.

Reid suddenly laughed. "Oh god, I haven't been there in years," he said, running a hand through his hair. "But yeah, that sounds great. No, no, I'm sure Luke will love it." Finally Luke attempted to smile.

The conversation lasted a few minutes longer before Reid finally said goodbye and snapped the phone shut. Luke didn't want Reid to comprehend just how nervous he was about this trip, so he sat up quickly and smiled.

Reid was still smiling from his conversation and didn't seem to notice that anything was off.

"We should probably get going if we want to get to the airport early," he said simply, putting a hand on Luke's shoulder. Reid leaned close, kissing him chastely on the corner of the mouth before stepping around him and toward the living room.

Luke spun around, arms still crossed, and slowly followed.

"I still don't see why we couldn't have taken the jet," he frowned. Reid didn't stop moving; he was collecting up his watch and double checking to make sure that he hadn't left anything laying about Katie's clean apartment.

"There's no reason to use your fancy jet," replied Reid, still moving about the room.

"You just didn't want your brother to see you rolling into town on some rich boy's plane," Luke said, a bit bitterly.

Reid finally stopped and looked up. He sighed, frowning unappreciatively at the blond.

"You know that's not true, Luke."

"Oh, it's not? Because I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it is. You weren't even sure if I should go with you in the first place, and now you can't even let me help you to get there faster and on your own time. I swear, it's like Dallas all over again," Luke groaned, stepping further into the room and gesturing with his hands.

"That's not fair," Reid said in a low voice, stepping around the couch and slowly approaching Luke, who was standing stiff and defensively. "Dallas was completely different and you know it. And this has nothing to do with you or your money, Luke. I've been looking forward to this trip for months, Joel and I came up with the idea long before anything started with us. I planned to fly commercial, and just because I'm now dating a guy with a private plane at his dispense doesn't mean I should change that."

Luke still didn't look convinced but he didn't argue either. Reid kept a safe distance from Luke, just watching as the blond crossed his arms again and frowned at the floor. It had been like this all week and Reid thought he was being pretty patient, which was saying something for a man who was never patient.

"I'm going to go get my bags and then we can head out," Reid said evenly, sighing and turning away from Luke.

Forty minutes later they were standing in line at the small Oakdale airport, waiting to go through security. It didn't take too long to get through and they strolled toward their gate, each carrying a bag over their shoulders, in silence. Their first flight was to Cleveland and then they would catch another plane that would take them the rest of the way to Boston. It was just past 11am when they came up to the gate so they take a seat, knowing their 12:05 flight won't be boarding for a little while longer. Luke pulls out a book and Reid pulls out a folder with some case files. They both take to their respective readings, shoulders leaning into one another but still not exchanging any words.

Just past 11:30 the announcement rings overhead that they are now boarding for flight 2329 to Cleveland and are welcoming all First Class passengers and those with small children to board. Luke and Reid before rise to their feet and fumble with their bags. Reid struggles to keep his mouth shut about at least letting them move up to first class, since originally he'd booked coach. They follow a family of four onto the plane and stop three rows in, fitting their bags into the overhead compartments before sliding into their seats. Luke sits by the window and takes to staring at the work crews loading the luggage onto the next plane over while Reid absently flips through a magazine. They order drinks and try to be patient while the rest of the small plane boards, and by 12:03 they are rolling down the runway.

Their layover in Cleveland was fairly uneventful. They nearly got ran over by a man running to catch his plane and they got to take the giant escalators that connect the main complex to D concourse. Luke finally spoke, smiling actually, to point out the massive 'paper airplanes' hanging above the escalators, but Reid didn't seem impressed, leaving Luke to frown in silence again. This time they boarded right away and at first fell into the same rhythm as their first flight - Luke stared out the window while Reid continued to Reid.

This flight was a bit longer, though not by much. About twenty minutes in, after the flight attendant had brought them more pretzels and drinks, Reid finally sighed and turned to Luke.

"You are allowed to talk you know."

Luke barely looked up. "Maybe I just have nothing to talk about."

Reid snorted. "Right, since when do you keep your opinions to yourself? I know you're still mad about earlier but you don't have to give me the silent treatment."

"I'm not giving you the silent treatment, Reid! I just don't have anything to say to you."

"Ah," said Reid, leaning his shoulder against the back of his seat and staring at Luke. "So you don't want to tell me how mad you are that we flew commercial, or how you think I'm embarrassed by your money or how much you really don't want to spend a weekend with my brother and my old friends?"

Luke met his eyes, turning red. Reid knew him too well. Still, he refused to answer.

"Thought so," frowned Reid, turning away.

"Wait," said Luke, reaching for Reid's hand. His fingers curled naturally around his partner's and his heart jumped pleasantly when the other man's fingers adjusted into place. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "I know I'm being childish. I'm just nervous, okay? I've barely even heard you talk about these people."

Reid sighed. "I know, but they aren't a big part of my life anymore, Luke. Like I was saying last night, I haven't seen Joel in almost six years, even since our parents' anniversary, and I haven't seen Adam or Liam and Kris since before that. Chances are this weekend will consist of reminiscing, the wedding, more reminiscing, and then it'll end the same way as it always does, with promises to keep in touch that we won't actually keep for another six years or so. But they're good people, I owe it to them to be there for this. Besides, Joel wants to meet you, they all do. It's going to be fine, Luke."

Reid squeezed Luke's hand, and the blond smiled - a little uncertainly, but it was a smile nonetheless. Reid watched him a moment longer as if making sure he wasn't about to fall apart or something, turning away only once he was satisfied that at least a part of his message had gotten through to Luke. He opened the medical journal in his lap and began reading again, though his right hand never let go of Luke's.

By the time they landed both men were in noticeably better moods. They pulled their bags down and were two of the first to exit the plane, bags slung over their shoulders and free hands linked together easily. They didn't notice the looks they got in the airport, nor would they have cared, strolling easily through the concourse and out of security.

It took Luke no more than five seconds to realize which group was their welcome party. There were four of them standing together just off to the left. All of them looked to be in their early to mid thirties, making Luke feel rather young. The first person he noticed with a dark haired man who he knew instantly was Joel. He had the same smile and curly hair as Reid. His hair was darker, his eyes were bigger and brown, and he was even taller than Luke, but there was still no mistaking the resemblance between them. There were two other men standing beside him, both handsome and athletically built, though only the one looked like he worked out regularly. The other was had his arm easily around the shoulders of a good looking woman with a smirk that reminded Luke of Maddie. Joel began to wave frantically, laughing loudly along with the others as Luke and Reid came closer.

Reid held onto Luke's hand until the last possible moment before letting go and hugging his brother. They were both smiling and exchanging hellos and how are yous, insisting that it had been too long. Reid then loved on to the other two men, shaking their hands and sharing a manly half-hug before wrapping his arms around the pretty brunette girl. Luke stood awkwardly, smiling with tense lips as he watched the reunion. Luckily Reid didn't linger with them too long before moving back to Luke's side, which cheered him up instantly.

"Luke, this is Joel, Adam, Liam and his fiancé Kris," said Reid, gesturing to the names' respective owners. Each of them smiled and said hello back.

Joel stepped forward and shook Luke's hand.

"It's good to finally meet you, Luke," he said brightly. "Heard a lot of good things," he added with a wink that made Reid groan a bit.

"Alright, alright. Are we going back to your place or what?" said Reid, taking Luke's hand again as everyone collected themselves. Joel just laughed, pulling out his keys and waving toward the doors with his arm.

"I figured I'd make you walk, make up for all the times you left me at school," Joel grinned.

Reid just laughed. "It's not my fault you were an immature little weasel in school," he said coolly.

Luke couldn't help but stare, their smiles were so similar.

"And it's not my fault I had such an ass for a brother," Joel teased back. Luke grinned at Reid, whether Reid saw him or not.


	2. Chapter 2

They took two cars; Adam, Liam and Kris, Luke and Reid with Joel. It was a short ride filled mostly with Joel asking Luke the basic questions - where are you from, what do you do for fun, what is it like to run a foundation. Luke answered honestly, enjoying the ride more than he could have expected. Joel seemed like a pretty cool guy. In fact, he was so laid back and down to earth that Luke grabbed Reid as they got out of the car and whispered to him, "Are you sure you're related?"

When Reid laughed and said, "Shocking, I know," Luke just smiled.

"Very. Who knew you could be related to someone so nice?" Reid shoved him for that one.

"So where are we going again?" Luke asked quietly in Reid's ear. They were sitting in the back of Adam's van, the only vehicle amongst them that could fit all six people comfortably. Reid leaned closer, his hand coming to rest on Luke's knee.

"It's called Pimcoe's, it's kind of like a bar and grill. We grew up with the owner's kid, never liked him, but the food's great," Reid explained.

"Ah ha," said Luke, still not sure what all the fuss was about. Pimcoe's, he'd realized as they gathered up to go, was the place Reid had insisted Luke would love while talking to Joel on the phone. When Joel had announced that they were headed out the entire group had suddenly erupted in anticipation. It seemed that none of them had been to this place in quite some time.

Reid smiled, squeezing Luke's knee reassuringly. "You'll like it," he whispered, and Luke just smiled.

They pulled up to a typical looking mom-and-pop bar and grill and the first thing Luke noticed was the smell. It was divine. They moved inside and Luke found himself in a dimly lit building that was everything he would have expected from Reid's description. It was noisy but not annoyingly so and they were seated right away in a round booth in the back. There was a guy playing guitar up on the small stage, though only a few people seemed to care. There was a bar in the center of the place with the seating on one side and pool tables on the other. Luke watched as orders were brought to tables and his mouth began to water.

Reid looked over and saw Luke's face, which unbeknownst to Luke included a smile. "Told you that you'd like it," Reid grinned, taking Luke's hand and squeezing it gently.

They sat down and started flipping through menus. Luke thought everything looked good. He listened as the others talked about their old favorites, exclaiming when they saw that a certain burger was still available, and just generally reminiscing about the good times at this place. It was exactly like Reid warned him it would be.

It didn't bother him too much, though. Reid was rather impressive in Luke's opinion, not only bouncing from his conversation with his friends back to Luke, but discretely trying to include Luke in what was going on. He helped Luke look over the menu and decide on something. He nearly chose for Luke, insisting that he had to try to Western Burger because no one had better tasting homemade barbeque sauce than Pimcoe's.

He was right.

Luke got a more basic cheeseburger with extra onions but Reid practically force fed him a bite of the Western Burger, which left Luke wishing he'd listened, though of course he didn't say this to Reid.

For the moment everyone had settled with sodas to drink but when the waitress came back Joel kicked off the alcoholic portion of the night by ordering a beer. Liam and Adam followed right behind him, Kris ordering some fruity drink that made Luke laugh to himself, and Reid also got a beer. When the waitress asked if Luke would like a beer, too, he waved his hand.

"No thanks, I'm good," he said with a smile. The woman nodded and walked away and Luke turned to the rest of the group. Joel and Adam were eying him with curious expressions.

"We're not planning to drink a lot, you don't have to be the designated driver or anything," Joel said cheekily in a tone that reminded Luke so much of Reid. He laughed.

"It's fine. I don't drink," he explained briefly, slowly looking more and more awkward. Reid's lips pressed together and he cleared his throat.

"So what's the game plan for tomorrow?" asked Reid, deciding to steer the conversation. Luke wasn't sure if he should be grateful for Reid's help, or worried that maybe Reid was embarrassed by him.

Joel frowned, still watching Luke. He opened his mouth to speak but Reid was suddenly leaning on the table, casting a stern look at his brother. Joel just sighed and sat back, shaking it off for now.

"Well, the rehearsal dinner is at… five, right?" asked Joel, turning to Kris and Liam.

"Yep, though we want everyone there by four thirty," replied Kris.

Joel nodded. "So before that we don't really have much planned," he shrugged. "Anything you want to do before dinner?"

Adam, Liam and Kris all shook their heads.

"How about you, Luke?"

Luke looked up. Everyone was staring at him.

"Oh, um, I don't know, really," he said sheepishly. He was turning red and Reid started smirking.

"I was planning on showing Luke around the city, maybe take him up to Harvard Square," said Reid plainly. Luke beamed at him, though did his best not to show it.

"Sounds fun?" laughed Joel. Reid flashed him a smile and the conversation drifted away.

They spent a good two hours talking, sharing jokes and old stories. They had gone to school together for years and had plenty of stories to share. Adam was Reid's age while Kris and Liam were Joel's. Joel told a particularly embarrassing story about how Reid and Adam first met, embarrassing on Adam's end at least.

"You didn't tell me Adam was gay," whispered Luke with laughter as they began to file out of the booth.

Reid gave Luke a Cheshire grin. "He's not."

It was a short drive back to Joel's place. Kris, Liam and Adam said their goodbyes and reminded the three men to be at the dining hall by four thirty ["Or you'll find out what they really mean when they say 'bridezilla'!"] before driving off. Finally they had a chance to relax and Luke was very much looking forward to kicking off his shoes for the night.

He changed into a clean t-shirt and pulled off his socks and shoes before wandering into the living room. Joel was sitting on the couch watching recaps of the day's baseball game. Reid was in the guest bathroom showering.

"Hey man, help yourself if you want anything," Joel called over his shoulder when he heard Luke come in.

"Thanks," Luke said back, awkwardly walking into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and found some cans of Coke and grabbed one, moving around to join Joel in the living room and sitting in one of the side chairs. Joel looked up.

"You really don't drink, huh?" Joel asked. Luke wasn't too surprised, especially since he'd seen two different brands of beer in the fridge. He smiled with embarrassment and nodded.

"Nope," he said.

"Mind if I ask why?"

Luke considered, and sighed. "No, not at all," he started, debating what he should share.

"I had a kidney infection when I was fifteen, pretty much made both of them useless. I had to have a transplant." Joel sat up, curious and grimacing sympathetically. "It's not exactly smart to get wasted when you have only one kidney," Luke laughed awkwardly.

"I can understand that," said Joel. "But like I said, we weren't asking you to get trashed or anything. I'm sure a beer once in a while won't kill ya," he smiled.

"Well, for me, one turns into two, turns into three…" Luke trailed off.

Joel was quiet for a few seconds and Luke cautiously glanced up, catching the moment when realization sank in and Joel's shoulders tensed.

"Ah," was all he said, sinking into the couch again.

Luke frowned, opening the can and holding it just in front of his face.

"Yeah," he said almost bitterly, taking a sip of his soda, almost resentful that it was nonalcoholic.

They sat in silence at that point, giving their attention to the sports highlights of the day with mild interest. It wasn't long before Reid came out wearing flannel pants and a fitted t-shirt, his hair still damp and sticking to his neck and forehead. He didn't say anything as he approached, though both men could hear his footsteps on the tile. He came to stand beside Luke's chair, his hand falling at the spot between Luke's neck and shoulders, fingers absently playing with Luke's hair. Luke didn't move, but sighed a bit at the simple touch. Reid noticed that Luke's shoulders were tense and his hand wandered over a bit. He sat on the arm of the chair, fingers tugging at the knotted muscles.

"Joel," Reid said after a few more minutes of silence. His brother looked up, still sprawled across the couch. "I was thinking the usual tour through this sad little town, venturing up to Harvard Square after that, lunch at Betrucci's… care to join us?"

Joel's lips turned into an uncertain frown. "Eh," he began, yawning. "I think I'll pass. I told Adam I might help at him at the shop tomorrow anyway."

Luke's shoulders finally relaxed and Reid wasn't blind to this. Reid frowned.

"Suit yourself," he said to Joel, letting go of Luke and standing up again. "I'm going to turn in," he continued, eyes falling down to Luke who gazed back.

"Yeah, me, too," said Luke, even though he was far from tired yet. He stood up and moved around next to Reid, who reached for his hand.

"Good night, Joel," Reid called. Joel looked up.

"Good night," he replied. As Luke and Reid started toward their room, Joel shifted and called after them, "and behave, this house has thin walls."

"You're an ass," called Reid.

"I learned from the expert, big brother," Joel returned.

Once in the room, Luke traded his jeans for basketball shorts while Reid checked his email at the desk. Luke smiled, shaking his head and moving up behind him. He wrapped his arms around the other man's shoulders, pressing his cheek against Reid's.

"Do you ever take a real day off?" he whispered. Reid grinned.

"Day off? Never heard of it."

Luke laughed, kissing Reid's cheek and stepping away. He moved to the bed, pulling back the covers and moving one of his own pillows onto Reid's side out of habit. A few minutes later he heard the familiar click of Reid's laptop closing and smiled when warm arms wrapped around his waist.

"You're not tired, are you?" Luke teased when Reid rested his forehead against Luke's shoulder, letting out a soft, tired groan.

"Of course not," Reid lied. Luke smiled and turned in Reid's arms so that they were facing each other, wrapping his own arms around the other man.

"Are you happy to be here?" Luke asked.

"Yes," Reid answered simply and honestly. "How about you?"

Luke tried to keep a straight face. "I'm happy," he said evenly. Reid frowned. "Really, I'm happy to be here," he insisted.

"But…?"

"But," sighed Luke, relaxing his arms, "I don't know, it's just weird, being the wheel with you guys."

"That's it?" asked Reid knowingly. Luke bit his lip, a telltale sign he was holding something back. Reid gave him a soft squeeze and Luke sighed in defeat.

"Alright. Joel was asking about me again, about the not-drinking," he began uneasily. Reid suddenly tensed, holding tighter to Luke.

"And what did you tell him?" he asked, trying to sound neutral, but Luke could hear the concern in his voice.

"I told him the truth," Luke shrugged, attempting to sound nonchalant but failing as miserably as Reid was. "I told him about my transplant, and I didn't exactly say it flat out but I…implied, the other part," Luke stumbled.

Even with Reid Luke felt awkward talking about his drinking problem. They'd had the whole discussion back when they'd first gotten together and it had been a long, painful night for both of them. Luke tried to avoid reliving that conversation as much as possible.

"What did Joel say?" Reid asked, sounding a bit defensive.

"Nothing."

Reid frowned.

"Reid, it's not a big deal," insisted Luke.

"I know, I just don't want to give my brother an excuse to get on your case."

"I told you, Reid, he was fine. Maybe a little surprised, but he didn't say anything."

Reid just frowned again. Luke desperately wished he would stop.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," he began easily, his arms tightening around Reid's neck. He paused before leaning in and kissing Reid kindly on the mouth. "Come on, no matter how much we deny it I know we're both exhausted." Luke smiled and Reid finally smiled back. Luke moved around to the right side of the bed and Reid flipped off the lights before crawling in as well.

"You moved the pillow," Reid commented with amusement as he came to lean back on them. Luke smiled in the dark, moving closer and resting his head against Reid's shoulder. They didn't even have to think about it anymore, Luke snuggling close and Reid lazily draping is arm around Luke, holding them together.

They could hear the faint droll of voices from the TV in the other room and the buzz of the fan, but all in all it was a quiet night. The silence was peaceful and relaxing and it didn't take long for both men to fall into sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Luke woke up the next morning to find himself alone in bed. He didn't realize this at first until he rolled over and his hand, searching for Reid's chest, landed on a warm pillow instead. He opened his eyes slowly and the world blinked into clarity. There was still a slight indentation on the pillow, which added to the warmth told Luke that Reid hadn't been gone long. Five minutes later he'd fixed his shirt, ran a hand through his tussled hair, and was rubbing his eyes as he opened the bedroom door. He could hear voices in the kitchen. It sounded like they were almost whispering.

"What part of 'drop it' is not getting through that thick skull of yours?"

Luke paused in the hallway. Reid's voice was dangerously low and steady. He crept closer to the corner, still out of sight but able to hear more clearly.

"Fine, whatever, Reid. If you want to go and let this kid screw up your life, be my guest!" said Joel, sounding equally annoyed.

"He's not screwing up anything, Joel. Hell, this 'kid' has been about the only good thing I've had going in who knows how long! So keep your damn mouth shut and for once stay out of my business."

Joel snorted.

"'For once' stay out of your business? Oh, yes, Reid, because I've had such a chance to meddle the past six years."

"Is that what this is about? Me not being around?"

"Dammit, Reid. No. I got use to you not being around a long time ago," said Joel. "This has to do with you falling into the same damn mess again and being too blind to realize that!"

Luke heard what sounded like a plate or maybe a pan crashing against the counter top. Then there was silence.

"The toast is ready, just let it cool. I'm going to go wake up Luke." Reid's voice was exhausted. Luke jumped a little as the words sunk in, scurrying across the carpeted floor on his tip toes back into the bedroom.

When Reid came in Luke was sitting on the bed, a single pillow between his back and the backboard. He had a book in his hand, legs crossed at the ankles. His face was slightly flushed, but Reid didn't seem to notice.

"Good morning," he said, smiling. Luke knew it was forced but he just smiled back, setting down the book and playing along.

"Good morning," Luke said cheerfully, teeth slightly clenched. Reid came around and sat down on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath and scooting closer to Luke.

"Did you sleep well?" Reid asked.

Luke nodded. "You?"

"Well enough," sighed Reid.

"You alright?"

Reid paused. "Yeah, it's nothing," he replied, waving a hand to dismiss it. Normally Luke would press for information, but this time he didn't bother. He knew enough already.

"Alright," frowned Luke, moving close. He leaned into Reid's arm, resting his chin on his shoulder from behind, a hand laying easily against the small of his back. Reid sighed again, though it sounded more pleasant. His arm lifted and he rested his hand on Luke's knee, leaning his head back a bit, laying it against Luke's cheek. Luke moved his fingers soothingly over Reid's short, kissing the side of his head before simply relaxing into the position. It was comfortable, almost too comfortable. Luke could feel sleep tugging at his eyes again. They were just beginning to droop when he felt Reid's fingers tighten over his knee.

"I made breakfast," he announced easily and Luke was pleased to see him smiling, a bit more genuinely this time. Reid pulled himself from the bed, stopping at the door and looking back at Luke. Luke followed quickly, joining Reid and smiling as Reid's arm came to hook around his waist. They moved down the hallway together and Luke inhaled deeply as Joel came into view.

He was sitting at the small wooden table in his open dining room, open in that it was actually just a corner of the large living room closest to the kitchen. He glanced up, looked at Luke, then at Reid, and then returned to his French toast.

Reid let go of Luke and moved toward the plate of toast on the counter, pulling two pieces onto one plate, four onto another. Luke rolled his eyes, stepping up beside him.

"Let me guess which is mine," he grinned, nudging Reid with his elbow.

"What? I'm a hungry boy," Reid winked, pouring syrup and powdered sugar onto his own. Luke reached over him for the syrup and prepared his own breakfast before following Reid to the table. He could feel the tension filling his shoulders.

"Orange juice?" asked Reid, setting down his own plate before making a bee line for the fridge. Luke nodded and took a seat, doing his best not to look at Joel. Reid returned a moment later with a cup of coffee for himself, setting Luke's orange juice in front of him.

Breakfast was mostly silent, at least while Joel was there. He finished before Luke was even half way through his first piece of toast, standing abruptly and dumping his dishes into the sink before disappearing down the hallway. Reid's jaw clenched tightly during this little scene, but Luke tried to pretend not to notice.

"So what are we doing today again?" Luke asked. Reid's shoulders visibly relaxed.

"Thought I'd show you around our little corner of Boston, then take you up to Harvard Square," said Reid before stuffing another large bite into his mouth.

"Aww, showing me around your old stomping grounds. How sweet," teased Luke, neatly cutting his second piece of toast into smaller pieces.

"Watch it," threatened Reid with a grin. They smiled at each other, laughing a little and returning to breakfast.

A half an hour later they decided to get ready to go out. Adam had already swung by to pick up Joel, leaving them with his car, and with an empty house. As Luke was buttoning his jeans Reid had stepped up behind him, wrapping his arms lazily around Luke's bare chest and hooking his chin over Luke's shoulder, speaking softly into his ear.

"You know, we could always skip the tours," he suggested with a smirk. Luke laughed, leaning into the embrace.

"Oh, no, you're not getting out this one," laughed Luke, turning in Reid's arms and linking his own arms around Reid's neck. Reid was frowning. "But hey, it's only ten. We have until four, and I doubt we'll need all six hours for your little tour," he said suggestively, pressing against Reid. Reid smiled a little, though was obviously trying not to. He groaned and kissed Luke quickly on the lips before breaking away.

"I don't care where we're at, we're back here by three," he said matter-of-factly, pointing at Luke as he walked out of the room. As he disappeared Luke caught a wide smile.

Luke laughed and shook his head, reaching for his shirt and pulling it on quickly. Five minutes later he joined Reid in the living room, kissing him chastely before following him out to the car.


	4. Chapter 4

For what seemed like the first time in almost a year of knowing each other, things actually went according to plan. It was a gorgeous mid- October day in Boston; there was a slight chill in the air so they both wore their light jackets, but the sun was warm on their faces and linked hands. The leaves were just starting to fall, though the majority of them still clung to the trees, bright reds, oranges and yellows decorating the city streets.

They started near Reid's, driving just beyond Pimcoes and parking at what looked like a small town square. Reid took Luke into an old pawn shop where an older gentleman exclaimed at the sight of Reid and instantly began showing him some of the newest chess sets to enter his shop. Luke laughed as the man, Gary, chatted at about a hundred miles an hour, steering Reid toward another shelf. Reid looked like he was struggling a little, face twisted as he tried to insist they weren't planning to by anything but also trying not to be too impolite to the old man. Luke was quite amused.

Once they managed to escape the shop with Reid's guarantee to come back and play him sometime, a promise Luke assumed the old man would forget and Reid would never hold up, Reid took him walking down what could only be described as small town Main Street. There were unique shops and small restaurants everywhere. Luke dragged Luke into a second hand bookshop where he ended up walking out with three novels and a new journal. Reid just rolled his eyes and steered him toward the car.

By noon they were in Harvard Square. They ate at Betruccis first before wandering through the square, scoping out what to do first. Luke insisted on walking through an art exhibit. Reid barely allowed his eyes to focus on a single piece of art for more than a second or two, nodding on occasion so it looked like he was paying attention, but of course Luke knew better. He just rolled his eyes and smiled, moving onto the next piece and leaving Reid to sulk.

The highlight of the afternoon for both of them had to be when Reid took Luke to the chess tables, spying a few familiar faces and even playing a couple of games. He only lost once, to an older man that seemed to make even Reid nervous. He was kind, wise in the eyes. Luke sat in a folding chair a few feet back and as Reid would contemplate his next move, the older man with a slight European accent Luke couldn't quite place, would turn to him and chat idly, inquiring about where he was from, how he liked Boston, topics common in small talk. As he replied to the man's questions, Luke's eyes remained locked on Reid, grinning as he watched the concentration on his face. When the game finally ended there was loud applause from the modest audience that had gathered. Reid smiled, shaking his head and sighing in defeat, reaching across to shake the other man's hand.

On the walk back toward the car they stopped and got ice cream from a small stand. Luke licked at his cone while Reid pushed the ice cream around in his bowl with a plastic spoon.

"I've never seen you look nervous," Luke commented with a grin. Reid barely smiled, never looking up.

"Who said I was nervous?"

"Ha, right," snorted Luke, licking his cone again. "I could tell you felt about this big next to that guy," teased Luke, holding out his fingers in a pinching gesture. "Is he one of the guys who taught you?"

Reid nodded. "Yeah, he is."

Typical Reid. He would answer any question, though he rarely gave more information that absolutely necessary. Still, there was admiration in his voice, and Luke had to smile at that.

"What's his name?" asked Luke.

"He told us to call him 'Mestre da xadrez', or 'Chess Master'," said Reid with a gentle laugh. "But his name is Abilio, we called him Mestre Abi." Reid was smiling brightly, shaking his head in amusement and scooping more ice cream onto his spoon. Luke smiled.

It took them longer to weave back onto the main road than it did to walk to the car in the first place, but they still managed to pull into the driveway at 3:06. Much to Luke's amazement Reid didn't even seem to be in a hurry. He eased the car into park, casually strolled up the short walk with his arm around Luke's waist, and even hung his coat before he made a first pass at his boyfriend. Once the coats were gone, though, so were the niceties. As soon as Luke had removed his own jacket and hung it alongside Reid's by the front door, Reid's arms were tugging at his waist from behind, pulling him forcefully against his chest, hot breath against his ear.

"We're running late," Reid whispered with a smile against Luke's neck. Luke leaned his head back, giving Reid more room, which he took full advantage of.

"We have half an hour tops," Luke informed him with staggered breaths. He could already feel his body reacting to Reid's touch.

"Well then we better make the most of it," grinned Reid, nipping playfully at his neck. Luke smiled, turning within Reid's arm and reaching for his face, kissing him hard on the mouth. They began an awkward dance down the hallway, fingers releasing buttons and shoes loosening along the way. They were smart enough not to leave anything in the hall, but as soon as their bedroom door was closed a pile quickly appeared, filled with socks, shoes, shirts, jeans and boxers. Reid lowered Luke into the bed, hands pressing into the warm skin of his hip.

"You know," he began between kisses, pressing against Luke and making the younger man moan with appreciation. "We could always skip dinner. It is just the rehearsal, and we're not even in the wedding." He leaned closer, grinding softly against Luke.

"You fight dirty," Luke managed, barely. "And we're not missing that dinner, so don't even think about it."

"Fine. But we're leaving it early," Reid insisted, his lips hot on Luke's chest. "Because a half an hour is just not going to be enough."

Just after three thirty Luke wandered back into the main room from the attached bathroom, a towel wrapped around his hips and another in his hand, working at his damp hair.

"You better hurry up, Kris will murder you if we're late," Luke called over his shoulder. He heard a low groan come from the bathroom and grinned, shaking his head as he moved toward his suitcase.

Their suits for tomorrow were hanging in the closet, but for tonight they were permitted to dress slightly more casual. Slightly. By the time Reid came into the bedroom Luke was already buttoning his dark dress pants and smoothing out his blue dress shirt on the bed.

"What is the point of a rehearsal dinner?" Reid complained. Luke didn't answer, grinning silently as he pulled on his shirt. "Seriously? He stands there, she walks down the aisle, everyone stands and claps and they kiss, then we all go eat. Why do we need to practice that?"

"Obviously you haven't been to many weddings," Luke finally said, "or you'd know how many things could go wrong. And by the way, they don't actually rehearse at the rehearsal dinner," he added with a laugh.

"What?" Reid practically shouted. "Then why the hell do they call it a 'Rehearsal dinner'?"

"Honestly? No idea."

"Some help you are," sighed Reid, beginning to pull on his own clothes. Black dress pants and Luke's favorite dark maroon shirt. Suddenly a tie appeared on the bed in front of him. He glanced up in disbelief, staring at Luke with unamused eyes. "I am not wearing a tie."

"Yes, you are," Luke insisted, taking the tie and beginning to wrap it around Reid's neck. Reid sighed dramatically, slumping a bit as Luke worked on the tie. Luke had one on himself, dark blue with small diamonds of light blue, like his shirt. Reid's tie was also dark blue, but without the diamonds, much to Reid's satisfaction.

Reid pulled on his shoes while Luke did his hair, earning a few mocking looks from Reid that Luke simply ignored as always. By 3:51 they were in the car and headed down to the restaurant. Reid was driving again, his hand resting easily on Luke's knee as it always did when they were in the car.

"Remember what I said about coming home early," he said pointedly as they pulled into the parking lot.

"I'll make you a deal," Luke began as they parked.

"I don't like that sound of that."

"If you can behave tonight, I'll leave early."

"Of course I'll behave!" said Reid, sounding hurt, but Luke knew better. "When have you known me to not behave?"

Luke refused to dignify that question with a verbal response. Instead, he just cast Reid an, 'are you serious?' look and quickly exited the car. He started walking, hands in his pockets, when he felt Reid's hand take hold of his hip. He grinned.

"I'll show you behave," Reid whispered, his hand slipping down to Luke's ass for a moment. Luke jumped and smiled at him with red cheeks.

"I mean it!" he laughed, linking his arm with Reid's.

"Wow! You're actually on time!" laughed Kris as they walked into the private room being used for the rehearsal. She hugged Reid quickly, smiling at Luke before awkwardly hugging him as well. "We're still waiting on Liam's parents," she sighed with a small smile. Luke had a feeling this was hardly unexpected news. "But feel free to help yourselves to some appetizers or drinks. I think you're both seated on the left side with Adam and Joel.

Reid nodded, moving with Luke through the small crowd. There were roughly a dozen people total, all standing around and talking with one another. Reid led them toward their seats, indicated by small place cards. He was seated between Luke and Joel, of course. As he approached Joel and Adam, he did his best to appear civil. Luke reached for his hand, happy when Reid's fingers linked automatically with his own. Adam was smiling and greeting them loudly. Joel strained to smile.

"Good to see you again, Luke," Adam said cheerfully, shaking Luke's hand that he had grudgingly been forced to pull away from Reid's. As soon as the quick greeting was over, though, their fingers flew together again like magnets. Luke could feel Reid squeezing his hand a bit harder than usual.

"You, too, Adam," he smiled. He turned to Joel, nodding. He couldn't quite manage an audible 'hello'.

"So," came Reid's voice. It was steady, but Luke could tell he was struggling to keep it that way. "Are you excited for tomorrow, Best Man?" he asked, eyes falling on his brother. Joel actually appeared to smile at that.

"I don't know about excited," he said in a happy enough tone. "I mean, I'm honored he picked me, and I can't wait to stand up there with him when he and Kris finally get hitched. Not looking forward to the speech though."

Adam laughed. Reid managed a smile.

"Yeah, I bet. You never were one for public speaking," Reid grinned. Luke let out a soft breath, more than relieved that Reid and Joel both appeared to be moving on from their encounter that morning.

"Ever been a best man, Luke?" Adam asked. All three looked at him expectantly. He froze for just a moment at the unexpected question before clearing his throat.

"Yeah, actually, at my brother's wedding," Luke answered with a nod.

"Aaron?" Reid asked. Luke nodded. "He's married?"

"He _was_," Luke corrected. "To Alison."

Reid blinked. Joel and Adam looked confused, so Luke just laughed it off.

"Anyway," he said, desperate to take the attention off of himself, "what about you, Adam?"

"Have I ever been a best man?" Adam clarified. Luke nodded. "Nah. I've been a groomsman when my dad got remarried back when we were still in high school, and I was in my cousin's wedding a few years later, but that's it."

Luke nodded.

Just then there was a sudden loud yell and everyone looked up. It was Kris, happily hugging an older woman while Liam shook hands with the man she had entered with.

"Well, looks like everyone is here," Adam smirked.

"I've never seen someone so happy to see their mother-in-law," Luke commented. They all laughed in agreement. Liam announced that they were beginning and loudly but quickly, everyone took their seats.


	5. Chapter 5

Dinner went smoothly. Very smoothly. Luke whispered to Reid that he couldn't remember the last time he'd been to a drama-free rehearsal dinner. Reid just grinned, reminding Luke that they weren't in Oakhell anymore. A few toasts were made and both men were pulled into easy conversations. Luke even shared a few words with Joel, though for the most part their interaction consisted of talking to the same group of people more than to each other. Still, it was civil.

As promised, Luke allowed Reid to come up with an excuse to leave early. While everyone else was finishing dessert and continuing their idle chatter, Reid and Luke were carefully stealing away, hand and hand out of the restaurant.

"What did you tell them?" asked Luke with a grin as they got into the car.

"I said I had a very important phone conference I couldn't miss," shrugged Reid. Luke just laughed. "Hey, they bought it."

"Sure they did."

Ten minutes later they were walking easily through the door. Luke yawned.

"Hey, none of that," grinned Reid, nudging him. Luke could see it in his face that Reid was tired, too.

They made their way back to their room, removing their ties, shoes and socks with no hurry. Luke finished first and fell down onto the bed, sprawled on his back with one knee bent, an arm resting over his eyes to block out the light. Reid laughed a little and gently came to lay down beside him, fingers tracing random shapes over his buttoned shirt.

"Tired?" he asked. Luke nodded in response. "Ah, so that's why you agreed to leave early. You just wanted sleep."

"Food comes before me with you, sleep comes before you with me," answered Luke groggily with a small smile. That smile was suddenly kissed away by Reid's lips, making Luke let out a soft sound of surprise. "What was that for?" he smiled, removing his arm and looking at Reid with tired but affectionate eyes.

"Well obviously kisses are all I'm getting tonight," Reid sighed over dramatically. Luke laughed, hitting his knee playfully.

"I'm sorry," said Luke, not sounding all that sorry.

"Sure you are," teased Reid, moving closer. Luke yawned again. Reid gently patted him on the knee, sitting up and moving off the bed. "C'mon, you can't sleep in those clothes," he insisted. Luke groaned, smiling but finally getting out of bed. They dressed silently, Reid again in his flanel pants and no shirt, Luke in a t-shirt and shorts. Luke crawled back into bed first while Reid turned off the lights. Luke pulled back the covers, snuggling against his pillow for a moment, waiting for Reid. Medical journal in hand, Reid climbed into the bed, adjusting the pillows behind him and leaving the bedside lamp on. Luke dragged the covers up so they covered Reid's legs before snuggling close, resting his head on Reid's chest. They quickly got comfortable, Reid holding his journal off to the side and reading in the dim light while Luke slowly and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Luke was the first to wake up. He wasn't sure what it was about weddings that made him so excited, but he felt like a little kid on Christmas, unable to stay in bed too late. He was showered and dressed in jeans and a clean polo by the time Reid first began to stir. Luke sat in the bed with a book in his hands, smiling when Reid let out a soft groan and stretched beneath the covers.

"Good morning," whispered Luke.

"What time is it?" asked a cranky Reid.

"Seven o'clock."

"Go back to bed," he moaned, rolling over. Luke laughed and shook his head. Sure enough Reid fell asleep again, finally waking and getting out of bed just after eight.

The wedding was at 2pm but they were expected at the church no later than noon. Reid was determined to use the next three and a half hours wisely. He emerged from the bathroom in just a towel, before he'd even showered, saying he'd forgotten to take off his watch. Luke rolled his eyes.

"It's not going to work," he insisted, turning his eyes to his book.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Reid said innocently, before 'accidentally' dropping his towel.

Five minutes later, Luke was without clothes and stepping into the shower with him.

Around nine they changed into casual clothes and wandered into the kitchen for breakfast. Reid found a note taped to the fridge.

_Already at the church with Adam and Liam. See ya this afternoon. -J_

He read it out loud to Luke, who simply nodded, searching for pans in the bottom cupboards. Reid made eggs and toast and they ate together at the table. Around ten they were back in their room. Reid sat on the bed with his computer in his lap while Luke continued to read. They simply relaxed, something neither had done in quite some time. They were in no hurry, and frankly, it felt wonderful.

Come eleven o'clock they finally started to get ready, changing into their suits and double checking that they had their wallets and cell phones. They wouldn't have time to come back between the wedding and the reception. As always Luke helped Reid with his tie.

"You look wonderful," said Luke with a smile that went far beyond his ears.

Reid rolled his eyes. "Sap," he grinned, leaning forward to kiss Luke quickly. "You look great, too."

"Sap," returned Luke, earning another eye roll and kiss from Reid.

One thing about Reid was that he really was quite punctual. Just before the church bells tolled noon both men strolled into the main chapel to find a small bustle of men in suits gathered near the alter. They were arranging who was standing and sitting where, making sure the rings were tied tightly to the pillow so that Liam's nephew couldn't possibly loose them, usual last-minute things at any wedding.

"Reid!" shouted Liam, coming forward and sharing a strong hug with his friend. "Sorry we didn't get to talk much last night."

"No need to apologize," smiled Reid. "Damn. You and Kris are finally getting married. Remind me what took you two so long?" he asked with a grin, earning an elbow in the ribs from Liam.

"Our families have the front two rows, but I want you both in the third row," explained Liam, looking to both Reid and Luke. "It's a small guest list so we're only going to fill about half of the chapel."

"Liam!" called Adam, motioning for him to come back. "Reid, you can help, too!"

Reid sighed and Luke just laughed, pushing him along.

They helped with some of the decorations, to which Reid complained endlessly. Luke was just thankful that he was decent enough to complain only through whispers in Luke's ear and not out loud to everyone else. By 1:30 everyone but the bride had at least made an appearance in the chapel. Luke and Reid congratulated Liam one more time and wished him luck before moving to their seats. Liam lingered near the alter with Joel, Adam, and Liam's younger brother, Xander. As two o'clock ticked nearer the small chapel began to fill. By 1:50, everyone was in their places.

Finally it was 2 o'clock. The bells rang, echoing through the small chapel. Luke shifted excitedly in his seat, taking Reid's hand.

"You are such a sap," Reid reminded him. Just then, music began to play.

"Shush," grinned Luke. Reid just smiled and rolled his eyes, squeezing Luke's hand.

Liam stood proudly at the alter with the pastor. Joel and Kris' maid of honor, her sister Katherine, were the first to walk down the aisle with their arms linked. Next was Adam and Kris' best friend Jennifer, followed by Xander with he and Liam's sister, Rachel. Lastly was Liam's nephew as the ringbearer and Kris' young cousin as the flower girl. Once all four couples had moved into place, Joel carefully untying the rings, the oh-so familiar march began to play. Everyone in the chapel stood up [though it took a strong nudge from Luke for Reid to do so, too], watching as Kris appeared on her father's arm.

"She looks beautiful," Reid whispered to Luke as Kris' father raised her veil and gave her to Liam. Luke beamed at Reid.

The service was simple but touching. Luke clung to Reid's arm the entire time, releasing it only as the couple was pronounced husband and wife and they sealed the deal with a kiss, to which everyone stood up and applauded.


	6. Chapter 6

The reception was at a local country club. They rented out one of the main halls and it was decorated with the same dark blues and pale yellows that the wedding had been. It was elegant but not over the top. Reid was just glad to find real bottles of beer at the bar.

First came dinner, followed by the toasts, all the while little jingles interrupting the music as people rang the bells on their tables, demanding the newly weds kiss. It was a festive evening that both Reid and Luke were able to enjoy easily.

Reid always knew that Luke was a sap but he'd never truly appreciated just how much that was true until the star couple took to the dance floor for their first dance as husband and wife. As Kris and Liam swayed together to Brian Adam's "Everything I Do", Luke reached for Reid's hand, just as he had in the chapel. About halfway through the song Liam's parents joined them on the floor and one by one more couples began to dance, too. Reid and Luke were not among them. It puzzled him, but Reid was almost disappointed when Luke didn't even ask. Quite frankly, he'd been expecting it, waiting for it. He knew, though, that Luke wasn't asking because he assumed Reid was say no.

The thought was quickly forgotten as the evening moved forward. Once the sentimental moments were over it was time for the fun stuff. Reid tried to push Luke into the group of gaggling women as Kris tossed the bouquet; Luke didn't have to push Reid into the sea of men waiting to catch her garter, however. Sure enough, he caught it, causing a sea of laughter as he went up to Luke and dangled it in front of his face, causing the younger man to blush furiously.

About half way through the evening Reid stood in line with a small group of men, dollar bill in hand. It was finally his turn and he stepped up to Kris, who laughed and hugged him tightly, taking the dollar bill and putting it into the small bag on her arm. They began to dance to the more upbeat love song that was playing. Luke watched from a distance, admittedly surprised to watch as Reid gracefully moved on the floor with Kris, skillfully even.

"You know, you're going to make Luke jealous," teased Kris, her eyes falling on the young blond for a moment. Reid looked up, catching an embarrassed look from Luke who quickly turned away.

"No offense, Kris, but I don't think dancing with you is going to make him jealous," Reid winked. Kris laughed.

"Oh really? I don't think it matters who you dance with, Reid. As long as it isn't him, he's definitely going to be jealous."

Reid looked at Luke again, noticing how alone he appeared to be. Luke's eyes were all over the room but never finding Reid again, at least not while Reid was looking. He smiled to himself before turning to Kris and kissing her on the cheek.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he said genuinely.

"Thank you," she said with a smile as they stopped dancing, hugging him tightly again. "Now go tell your boyfriend the same thing!"

Reid rolled his eyes and laughed, making a show of walking toward Luke as Kris watched him before turning to the next man waiting to dance with her.

"Kris says I should tell you that you look beautiful."

Luke looked up. He'd been so busy _not_ looking at Reid that he had honestly been startled when he appeared next to him.

"Does she now?"

Reid nodded.

"She also says," he began, reaching out a hand. "That I should dance with you."

Luke stared at him, his doe eyes wide and almost scared. Reid wiggled his fingers, giving Luke a look. Luke blinked and took his hand, standing up slowly as if in a daze, which he probably was. As much as he knew it wasn't true he felt like every pair of eyes was on them a they walked onto the dance floor. They were surrounded by other couples, all busy with their own dancing partner. Luke relaxed as he felt Reid's hand fall to his waist, stopping him and pulling him close.

Much to his amazement Reid was a man of first-moves tonight, but then again, that wasn't all that surprising with Reid. Luke laughed a little, nervously, as they adjusted. It had been a long time since he'd danced with another man and he forgot how awkward it could be at first without the usual gender roles dictating who placed their hand where. They fell into place quickly, though, Reid's hand on Luke's waist, holding him tightly. Luke's arm rested on Reid's. Their other hands linked together, held between their chests. As they began to sway to the music, Reid instinctively leading, they found themselves leaning closer, dancing cheek to cheek. After a minute or so Luke let his head fall further, bringing himself closer to Reid and resting his head against Reid's shoulder. It was comfortable, easy, and Luke couldn't remember feeling more content in his life.

They danced through three or four slow songs before a more upbeat tempo took hold, waking them from their trance. Slowly they pulled away, smiling a little at each other before abandoning the dance floor hand in hand.

The reception ended just after nine o'clock. The sun had barely set and everyone came out front to big the newly weds fairwell. They rented a town car, adorned with the usual "Just Married" in the back window, ribbons and of course, a trail of cans at the back. They were headed into the heart of Boston and staying in a nice hotel before flying to Italy in the morning for their honeymoon. Reid was sure to hug both of his friends and congratulate them one more time, knowing he'd be back in Oakdale by the time they got back. They thanked him again for coming, reminding him that six years was far too long.

By the time they got back to Joel's both Reid and Luke were exhausted. They realized they had beat him home but for once it didn't matter. They quickly slipped into pajamas and curled up together in bed, soft yawns serving as their soundtrack.

"Thank you," Luke whispered into the quiet darkness.

"For what?" Reid asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Dancing with me," said Luke. "I wasn't expecting that."

"I'm a man of surprises," said Reid with a satisfied sigh. Luke laughed.

"That's for sure," he said, turning his head to kiss Reid's bare chest. In the darkness Reid reached for him, fingers hooking under his chin and dragging his face upward for a sweet but hard kiss. Luke enthusiastically kissed him back. They continued like that for a few minutes, kissing in the dark. Reid had just started to roll over top of him when he let out a tired groan, breaking the kiss and holding Luke's face for their foreheads touched. They both laughed softly, clinging to each other.

"We better stop before we get carried away," whispered Reid against Luke's mouth. Again they laughed.

"You're probably right," Luke said with a yawn. Reid brushed Luke's hair from his face, kissing him once, twice, before they shifted, returning to their previous positions with Luke curled up against Reid, Reid's arm holding him tightly to him. Luke had a hand sprawled over Reid's chest, which Reid gently covered with his own.

Less than five minutes later, they were both sound asleep.

They had two more days in Boston and it was supposed to be a chance for them to simply relax, to truly enjoy their vacation time. It was Saturday and Joel had to go back to work, having been lucky to get three days off for the wedding in the first place. It left Reid and Luke alone in the apartment, something they had no choice but to take advantage of.

Luke woke to the sensation of Reid's lips on his.

"Mmm," he hummed as he stirred out his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the faint light that filled the room. He smiled when he saw Reid, propped up on his arms, staring down at him. "G'morn," he muttered.

"Good morning," grinned Reid, leaning in for another kiss. The more Luke woke up the more he gave to the kiss. Once Reid was satisfied that Luke was completely awake and therefore one hundred percent aware of what was happening, he lowered himself down, their chests pressed together, and other parts of their body, too. Reid's hand snaked down as the kiss deepened, his hand trailing over Luke's body to the edge of his pajama shorts. He felt Luke writhe beneath him as his hand moved lower and lower before finally coming to rub him gently between his legs. Luke let out a soft moan into his mouth, pressing against Reid's hand. He reached up and took a firm hold of Reid's hips, fingers playing with the band of his pants.

"I love it when you wake me up," Luke murmured into the kiss breathlessly, his voice low and full of want. Reid grinned, tugging at Luke's bottom lip a little.

"I know."


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you to the wonderful Demesha for helping me to figure out this scene and being a great inspiration! 3

* * *

Luke and Reid didn't leave their bedroom until after noon and even then it was only because Luke insisted that they needed food, an excuse that worked pretty well. The very mention of the F-word had Reid up and going in a matter of seconds. Luke watched as Reid, clad only in scrub bottoms that were hanging dangerously low on his hips, rushed past him, walking barefoot into the kitchen and already pulling out plates and various things from the fridge before Luke even had a chance to catch up.

"How can you stand these movies?" asked Luke. He and Reid were lounging on the couch in the living room, the SyFy channel on the TV.

"Easily," grinned Reid.

"Oh, come on, you could tell that was a puppet and even I know blood doesn't actually squirt like that!" cringed Luke, tired of the horrible effects.

Reid laughed. "The campier the better in my opinion," he chuckled, popping another piece of popcorn into his mouth. Luke rolled his eyes and slouched more, his head coming to read on Reid's shoulder. He continued to watch the ridiculous movie, making sounds of disgust whenever something was too gory or unrealistic. Every time he made a comment about the so called 'special effects' Reid would simply shush him, occasionally chucking popcorn at him for emphasis.

Around three Luke pulled himself away from the couch, determined to watch as little of the second movie, "Monster Shark", as possible. His stomach was growling and slowly searched the fridge and cupboards for something to eat. He came across the cereal cabinet and was pleased to find some good old fashioned Honey Nut Cheerios. Grinning a little he found the bowls on his third attempt and poured a generous amount of the cereal.

Suddenly Reid heard a loud yell.

He perked up, glancing over his shoulder into the kitchen.

"What?" he asked impatiently. Luke pouted his way over.

"There's no milk," he frowned, coming to stand behind the couch and leaning on the back, face very close to Reid's.

"So?"

"So," sighed Luke. "I was trying to get some cereal, but you kind of need milk for that."

"Then go buy some milk," said Reid with a shrug as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. Luke's shoulders fell and he gave him a look -_'Seriously?'_ - and groaned again, hiding his face in his arms, leaning close enough that his hair brushed Reid's face. Reid cleared his throat, and Luke groaned again, this time more loudly and dramatically.

"Alright, fine," said Reid with a groan similar to Luke. He slowly stood up, making a show of it so Luke knew just how much he didn't want to go. Luke just beamed at him with that cheeky grin Reid both loved and hated. "But you owe me," he said, reaching for Luke as they both walked into the hallway, dragging him over and kissing him hard on the mouth.

They changed into some real clothes, having both been in their PJs for most of the day, and headed out. Joel had the car and Reid really didn't think it was necessary to call a town car all the way out there just to take them to get milk, an idea he accused Luke of almost sharing. Luke just clammed up, muttering that he'd had no such thought.

Lucky for them there was a corner store just three blocks away. It was chilly today, the wind a bit nippier than usual. Reid walked with his hands in the pockets of his jackets, one elbow pressed tightly to his side, the other currently captured by Luke's arm. It took them about twenty minutes, longer than expected only because Reid decided to grab everything that looked good on the way out. They walked back into the house with four separate bags.

Reid finished his movie while Luke ate his cereal and read in the dining room. Just past five Reid moved past him into the kitchen and began moving things around, seeming to have as little luck finding everything as Luke had at first.

"What are you doing?" Luke asked curiously, laying his book upside down.

"Making dinner," Reid answered, pulling out a glass pan from the lower cupboard before returning to the pantry.

"What are you making?"

"Food."

"What kind of food?"

"Good food."

"That's specific."

Reid just grinned.

Luke returned to his book, glancing up now and then to try and see what Reid was making but it seemed that Reid was determined to keep him in the dark for one reason or another. Luke had a feeling it was simply to annoy him. Every time he looked up Reid was strategically standing in front of whatever he was preparing. As he put the mystery meal into the oven Luke noticed that he even turned the oven light off so that Luke couldn't peak from across the room.

It was going on six when the timer went off. Luke stood up and practically ran to the oven, but Reid was too quick, grabbing up a mit and nudging Luke away. He was grinning wickedly. Luke leaned on the counter, arms crossed and trying not to smile. He was failing.

"It smells good," Luke said, stepping aside and Reid pulled the pan out of the over. He couldn't really tell what it was yet, only seeing something of a gray-ish color through the pan and what appeared to be crispy tater tots on top. He stared at it for a minute before giving Reid a curious grin.

"My mom use to make this all the time," Reid explained, setting the pan on the stove carefully. "Every time she would make it she let Joel and I help while she told us the same story about how her grandmother came up with the recipe and it was a family secret. Back then we believed her," he smiled.

"But you don't now?" asked Luke.

Reid laughed. "It's a simple tuna casserole, Luke. You take tuna, cream of mushroom soup, maybe add some peppers and other vegetables, and you put potato sticks on top. I usually go for the tater tots myself, only because I can never find the same potato sticks mom used," he explained further, winking at Luke as he stepped around him to get some plates.

Luke put his empty bowl from earlier in the sink and moved his book to the coffee table while Reid served the casserole onto plates. They moved around the kitchen in easy silence, Reid setting their plates on the table before returning to pour them both drinks while Luke found silverware and napkins. They were just about sit when the front door opened.

"Hey," came Joel's voice from the entry way.

"Hey, I made mom's tuna casserole," called Reid with a slight snort, fully aware how ridiculous that statement sounded.

A moment later Joel rounded the corner into the dining area and shook his head with a grin.

"I'm surprised we aren't sick of this stuff yet," he said, coming over to steal a piece from the original pan with his fingers. Reid tried to bat him away but was too late. Joel just grinned.

"Want to join us?" Reid asked. Luke looked up, trying not to appear anxious. Joel looked at them both, considering for a moment, before shrugging.

"Why not. Last night in town, might as well."

Dinner was actually quite nice, at least it started out that way. Joel told them about his day, promising that life as a professional tutor was far from colorful. It was obvious that he was unhappy with his job.

"You're doing something good, though, something practical," commented Luke.

"Yeah, well, I do what I can," sighed Joel. "I was supposed to be teaching this year, but they made some cuts just two weeks before school started, and guess whose name was on the list?"

Luke frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Joel shrugged. "You do what you can," he said matter-of-factually.

"Yes, but I know it's tough," said Luke.

Joel snorted, bringing the beer he'd been slowly sipping at since he got home to his lips. Luke tried not to read into his reaction.

"Are you still considering St. Jude's for next year?" asked Reid, feeling the need to step in. Luke glanced up at him appreciatively.

"Maybe," said Joel. "Private schools aren't exactly know for paying well, though. Chances are I could make more staying where I'm at now."

"But would you like teaching again better than just tutoring?" Luke asked before he could consider staying quiet.

Joel looked up at him and Luke noticed his nostrils flare, just like Reid's did when he was truly angry about something. Luke had come to hardly notice it in Reid, but with Joel, it was intimidating and foreign.

"Of course I'd rather teach than sit in some mock classroom helping the kids who either just don't get it or got stuck with a teacher who has no idea what they're doing," Joel replied bitterly.

"Joel," said Reid in a commanding voice, straightening up. Joel didn't appear to hear him.

"But it doesn't really matter what I'd rather be doing. I've got a mortgage to worry about, bills, and whatever pays them is what I have to take."

Luke was red, his throat tight, but strangely, that didn't stop him from talking.

"I'm sure you could find a way to make it-" he began, but a sarcastic laugh from Joel, resonating loudly through the small house, cut him off.

"What? I could make it work? Not all of us are trust-fund brats who can just simply jump into their latest whim without worrying about the consequences," bit Joel. "Those of us in the real world have to worry about paying the bills and keeping food on the table."

Luke froze, eyes wide. He couldn't shake the feeling that Joel had been waiting to pick a fight, and stupidly, Luke had given him the perfect in to do just that.

"Joel." Reid was practically out of his seat. This time Luke noticed his nostrils flare.

"What, Reid?" sighed Joel angrily. "I'm sorry, but I've played nice and I'm tired of it."

"Ha!" snorted Reid. "When we first got here you had no problem with Luke's background. Hell, I think I even remember something about wanting a real vacation or a sports car for Christmas."

"Yeah, well, the idea of you dating some rich kid was kind of cool at first. Now it's just annoying," Joel said, shooting Luke a look.

"Really, Joel? You're going to sit here and tell me it's Luke's _money_ that has you so pissed off?"

Luke sat completely still, afraid to break the tense silence with his movement. Joel and Reid were staring at each other and a part of Luke was wondering who would pounce first.

"Fine," said Joel finally, standing up loudly. Reid calmly stood as well. Luke still didn't dare to move. "You got me!" yelled Joel, holding his arms out wide for emphasis. "Honestly? I don't give a damn if he has money or not, but you know exactly what it is I have a problem with, Reid."

More silence.

Slowly, cautiously, Luke stood.

"This is about the drinking, isn't it?" he asked quietly. Both brother instantly turned their eyes to him. Luke let his own eyes drift to Reid for a moment, petrified by the pure concern and turmoil on Reid's face.

Joel took a deep breath. "Yes," he answered honestly. "And before anyone accuses me of judging too quickly," he said fast, holding up a finger to silence any protest that might come, his eyes landing on Reid, "that sure as hell isn't the case. I don't dislike you, Luke, because of your problem. Hell, I'm even happy for you that you're sober. For now," he added, the words stinging in Luke's ears.

"Joel, stop," threatened Reid, his voice dark. "This isn't the same and you damn well know it."

"Really, Reid? You can't honestly tell me that I'm the only one with a sick sense of deja vu here, that I'm the only one-" Joel was yelling, but Reid was suddenly stepping forward and Joel's voice was lost.

"Stop!" Reid shouted, his voice echoing everywhere. Luke actually flinched. He couldn't remember ever seeing Reid this angry. For a moment he was sure he saw him shaking. "I mean it Joel, you need to stop."

There was a moment of silence. Only a moment. In that moment, though, everything seemed to be spinning. Luke felt like he was getting a blurry look at the big picture, struggling to grasp the details and meanings behind them. All he could make out for sure was that Joel had a fiery passion just like Reid's, one that he kept buried when possible but simply couldn't control. It was causing him to bend and break for Reid, to put up those shields on Reid's behalf. If he hadn't been on the receiving end of such negative blows, Luke probably would have been impressed by Joel's devotion to his brother.

The other thing that was clear was even more troubling, though. It was obvious to Luke now and he knew he could no longer ignore it; Reid was hiding something.

Heavy silence hung on their shoulders, pressing all three men with an unbearable weight. Joel cracked first.

"Damn it!" he cursed loudly, slamming a fist against the table. His eyes were a dark tangle of emotions. "Damn it, Reid, he's not Jamie!"


	8. Chapter 8

_"Damn it, Reid, he's not Jamie!" _

The silence that filled the air was thicker than anything Luke had ever experienced, he felt like he was choking on it. His eyes flew immediately to Reid for some kind of explanation, but his curiosity was instantly replaced with good old fashioned fear. Reid was rigid, face paler than usual and his eyes a shade of black that made Luke not only afraid for him, but of him.

"How dare you," said Reid, his voice deep and as rough as gravel. "She has nothing to do with this, you have no right-"

"I have _every_ right!" shouted Joel, pointing at Reid accusingly. "I watched you throw away everything you wanted, Reid. I had to deal with you walking out on us, with you being miserable for years because of her!"

"What I decided then and what I decide now is none of your business," Reid said threateningly, stepping forward.

"To hell it's not my business!" yelled Joel, his voice cracking. "How can you ask me to just sit back and watch you do this to yourself again, Reid?"

Joel paused, his voice desperate and weak. He stepped closer. Luke felt nonexistent as he watched them. Regardless of Joel's height, he was still obviously the younger brother. Just looking at them made that clear. Reid stood tall and strong, staring Joel down without any qualms. Joel, however, looked like he was about to cry.

"You're my brother, Reid. You can't expect me to watch you make the same mistake." Joel reached forward, taking his brother's arms in his hands. Reid didn't move at first but after a slight hesitation he sighed, looking away from Joel, away from Luke. Luke's breath caught, his chest constricting.

"I love you, Joel, but for once, you need to listen to me." Reid's voice was quiet, determined. "This isn't the same. Not even close. So I'm going to say it one more time; You need to drop this. Now." Luke looked up in surprise, just in time to see Reid peeling Joel's hands away. Joel stared after him, looking devastated. Reid turned without another word and moved toward the front door, grabbing his jacket and disappearing through the door.

Suddenly it was Joel and Luke alone. A more awkward moment had yet to exist all weekend and Luke was fairly certain they would never reach this level of tension again. He had no idea what to say or do. To say he was confused was a vast understatement. Everything was changing for him; his perceptions, his questions, his opinions. Nothing made sense. He looked up at Joel, who met his gaze, eyes still wet and pathetic. He crossed his arms, looking away and forcing his eyes shut before turning abruptly and stalking out of the room.

Luke stood there a moment longer before it sunk in that Reid was no longer in the house. He hurried to the door, not bothering to grab his own jacket before following Reid into the cool night air.

At first he didn't see Reid anywhere. The porch was small and empty, as was the yard. The car was still there, though. Luke skipped every other step down to the walk and rushed down the path to the sidewalk, glancing both ways. He caught a slender figure turning the corner two houses down just as he passed under a street light. Luke sighed sadly to himself before taking off at a full out sprint, quickly making the distance and skidding to a halt in front of Reid.

"Reid, stop," he said breathlessly, bending over and bracing himself against his legs, gasping for air. Reid looked confused as Luke straightened up, his famous puppy dog eyes gazing up at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Reid answered stiffly, hands finding his pockets.

Luke frowned. "Reid," he sighed.

"Not now, Luke," Reid growled. So far he'd been good and remained stationary but now he brushed past Luke almost angrily, stepping unnecessarily hard as he walked.

"Reid!" Luke shouted, chasing him again, this time grabbing his arm. "Stop, alright? Please, just talk to me!" he pleaded, taking Reid by both arms and gently rubbing his hands up and down, looking Reid over as if examining him.

"What part of 'not now' did you not understand? I'm not in a talking mood." Reid tried to push away again. Luke's hands tightened, causing Reid to stare at Luke with a soft expression of shock on his face. Luke wasn't going to let him go anywhere and he knew it.

"I want to understand, Reid. I want to give you space, and I want you to figure things out, but you owe me at least some explanation," demanded Luke. His eyes burned into Reid's, searching for any sign that he would give in. At first his face was cold, teeth clenched, but finally Reid seemed to let go. His shoulders fell and his eyes softened. For a moment Luke swore he saw tears. For a moment.

"Fine. Let's keep walking."


	9. Chapter 9

This is a crazy long chapter! I almost cut it into two parts, but I couldn't find a good place. Feel spoiled. Lol. 3

* * *

They walked in silence for a good ten minutes. Luke fought the urge to ask questions, trusting Reid to talk when he was ready. He could deal with the silence while he wasn't.

Their silent stroll led them to a neighborhood park. It was already dark, a faint orange glow filtering over the horizon but mostly hidden by the trees. Combined with the cold, it was no surprise that they were alone. The swings and monkey bars of the small playground were empty and the sidewalks weaving through were barren and cold. The only real sound other than their feet was the soft hum of crickets and the rustling of the changing leaves.

Reid led the way, a pace or two ahead of Luke. His hands were still in his pockets and he eyes were determinedly forward facing. Not once did he look back at Luke, who tried not to take it personally but was starting to feel the weight of Reid's silence. They followed one of the short paths for a while longer. Luke was unsure as to where exactly they were headed, but as he saw Reid veer slightly to the left, his steps slowing considerably, he sighed in relief. There were benches just ahead. Reid was headed straight for them.

The old wooden bench creaked a little beneath their weight. Reid sat first, Luke sliding up beside him. He left about an inch of room between their bodies, trying to show Reid that he was willing to give him space, but figuratively and literally. He regretted not grabbing his jacket about two minutes into their walk and was shivering a little, clenching his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering. He had on a maroon sweater that was thick enough to keep the wind from biting too hard, but the evening temperature drop was starting to get to him. His fingers tugged at the end of his sleeves, hands folded together and stuck gently between his knees for warmth.

"Jamie was my best friend in high school."

Luke looked up, startled by Reid's sudden words. Things had been so quiet that the it took a moment for Reid's voice to register as familiar. Suddenly, the cold was hardly noticeable.

"We um, we met in tenth grade, honors biology," he began again. Luke saw him gulp. "Truthfully we didn't like each other much in the beginning. Norman, Oliver, it was just chance that we ended up sitting together. She was one of those people who wanted to do everything her own way, she didn't trust anyone else to do a good enough job. You can imagine how well we must have gotten along," Reid went on, a tired smile tugging at his lips for a brief moment.

"Things got better, though. I don't know what happened exactly. One day we're fighting like cats and dogs, the next we're playing video games at her parents' house and eating bad pizza," Reid said with a strained laugh. Luke relaxed. He was just glad that Reid could tell the story with at least a little ease. "Because I skipped eighth grade, she was a year older than me. When she got her license she rubbed it in my face, but she also drove me everywhere, mostly because we did everything together. I took her to Home Coming when her asshole boyfriend dumped her the week before. She helped to sneak me into my first R rated movie. I took her to our senior prom, she held my hand when I came out to my parents."

Reid stopped for a moment, his eyes unfocused. He was leaning forward on his knees now, hands clamped tightly together. Luke watched him, seeing the memories as they passed over his face. He imagined a younger Reid in a cheap suit scowling as his parents took too many pictures, Reid looking far too amused with himself as he sat in the back row of the theater.

"Things weren't always great, though. She had a lot of trouble at home growing up. Her parents were separated and her dad wasn't around much and her mom had a new boyfriend every other week. Whenever her mom would have a guy over, we'd sneak her into my room and she'd stay with me for a day or two. I wasn't sure about it at first, part of me felt like she had to get use to it, that she needed to learn to handle things on her own, but I just couldn't leave her alone in a bad situation like that, not when she was..."

Reid's voice cracked, his hands fidgety. Luke leaned forward a little too, shivering as the cold air ran over his hands for the first time in ten minutes, but he ignored it. He reached out, hand hovering over Reid's for a moment before he finally found the courage to touch him. Reid's hands adjusted instantly, their fingers tangling together, both of Reid's hands clinging to Luke's like he needed the support. A part of Luke knew he did.

"She was what?" Luke whispered, leaning closer. Reid shook his head, knowing what sort of thoughts were running through Luke's mind.

"Jamie suffered from clinical depression. She was diagnosed when she was sixteen," he said evenly. Luke nodded. He obviously hadn't expected that. "Her insurance only covered a little bit of the cost of her medication so they didn't fill it very often. Most of the time she was alright, but when things got stressful at home, it took its toll on her. Sometimes she didn't have any medication to take, sometimes she didn't take them on purpose."

Luke's hand tightened. He moved closer, bringing his other arm over his lap, both hands now tightly locked with Reid's. Their knees touched, arms pressed tightly together. Reid squeezed Luke's hand, blinking and looking up at him. Luke was surprised that Reid had snapped out of his daze, almost startled by the connection. The look on his face terrified Luke. He'd never seen Reid look so scared.

"Do you remember when you told me about your drinking?" Reid asked. Luke could tell he was being careful. He nodded.

"Yeah," he began, clearing his throat a little and moving even closer. "We were watching a movie and I fell asleep. When I woke up, you were tracing my scar. You didn't ask this time, but I knew you were wondering about it again. So, I sat there with you in our bed and... I told you everything, about high school and the election, all of it." Luke's voice was quiet, nervous. Reid's hands were tight on his, though, so everything was okay.

Reid nodded a little, his lips pulling downward. "I never did tell you that I was sorry for reacting the way I did," said Reid.

"Reid," Luke began to protest. Reid shook his head.

"Please, just listen," he insisted. "I could have been more understanding, but instead I said nothing and just turned off the lights."

"Reid," said Luke again, more insistently. "You don't have to apologize. In case you forgot you made me the world's largest breakfast the next day and we talked things out. And then you refused to let me leave your room for the rest of the day," he added in a whisper, leaning close and grinning. Reid laughed a little at the memory.

"I know, and it was great," he added with a grin. "But I still regret reacting the way I did. I know I hurt you. That isn't what I wanted to do, Luke. I understood, more than you know, and I never held it against you. But when you told me that you had a drinking problem, it just dragged me back to Jamie, back to the years I'd been trying so hard to ignore.

"When Jamie didn't have her medication, she turned to drinking. She was a sad drunk. She was smart and beautiful and most of the time she was confident about that, but when she drank, her depression only got worse. The summer after graduation, she tried to kill herself."

Luke inhaled sharply, the cold air burning his lungs. Reid fell into one of his trances again.

"Her mom admitted her to a clinic to get some help. She was supposed to go off to school, but we all knew there was no way she would be healthy enough by the time the semester started. I was ready to go to Columbia, but a month before I was scheduled to move in, I changed my plans and was able to get back my spot at Harvard."

"That's what Joel meant when he said he watched you throw everything away," said Luke weakly. Reid nodded.

"I wanted to stay close to home, so that I could help take care of her. Her mom couldn't handle it in a lot of ways. She was working constantly to afford keeping Jamie at the clinic, and emotionally, it was just too much. Even though her mom was a lot of the problem, at least originally, she wasn't a bad mother. But she couldn't do it alone. I had to stay."

Luke could feel the tears lining his eyes. He'd heard so many great stories about Reid's years at Harvard, how he liked going to school in the same city he'd spent so much of his childhood. While Luke didn't doubt that these things were true, it still tore at his heart to know that the stories were from a life that Reid hadn't wanted, a life he entered because he felt obligated.

"She was in the clinic for about six months before she was finally okay to come home. She was sober and on proper medication again, she worked things out with her mom. The next fall she started school at Boston College. It felt like things were back on track. I thought we'd finally gotten past everything."

Reid stopped, his shoulders stiffening. Luke knew that this story was about to take a turn for the worse.

"My last year of medical school, Jamie's mother was killed in a car accident. It was nobody's fault, it was January and there was a storm. Another car hit some ice, lost control. Jamie was devastated. She couldn't afford the medication on her own so she stopped filling her prescription. It was a bad combination, her pain and her lack of medication. She'd been sober for seven and a half years, but it was all too much for her. I found her passed out in her apartment. She was hospitalized for three days due to alcohol poisoning."

Through all of this Luke tried to listen with a clear mind, but it was impossible. He kept falling back to his own tragedies, the times he wanted to drink, and the times he did drink. He remembered his family and friends telling him how scared they had been, how hurt and afraid they were because of him. The idea of possibly putting Reid in that situation, of scaring Reid... it was something he couldn't bear to even imagine. He suddenly felt guilty, responsible, and it was something he just couldn't shake.

"I got her to check back into the clinic she'd been at years before, but I knew it wasn't enough. They focused on her depression, but she needed help with her alcoholism, too. I was preparing for my residency, considering my options. I wanted to take Jamie with me. I was offered to come to the Mayo Clinic, even back then. I wanted to take it, they have a great program for dealing with depression and alcoholism, but it was too expensive for Jamie and I to afford. The reason I ended up in Dallas was because they had a clinic connected to the hospital. I inquired about admitting Jamie into their program. If I went to Dallas, they would guarantee her a place and help to cover some of the expenses. It was the best option I had at the time. I had no choice but to take it.

"I started paying for her medication, and she looked like she was getting better."

Reid paused again and his breathing became staggered. Luke already knew where this was going, but he wasn't sure he could hear it, wasn't sure he wanted Reid to go through the pain of saying it out loud.

"Three months later she checked herself out and went back to Boston. A month after that, I got a call that she was in the hospital again. She'd been drinking, while she was on her medication." Reid paused, taking in a shaky breath that Luke was sure did nothing to ease his aching lungs. "She died three days later."

Luke was no longer trying to hold back the tears. They were streaming silently down his face, glistening in the glow of the street lamp. He leaned into Reid, hands tightening their hold.

"I'm so sorry, Reid," he whispered. He removed one hand, reaching for Reid's face. Carefully he placed his palm to Reid's cheek and forced him to look at him. Suddenly Luke almost wished he hadn't.

There were tears in Reid's eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about her," Reid choked out, angling more toward Luke and gripping the hand he still held delicately but firmly. "And after the way Joel has been acting and the things he said, I can only imagine what you think of me."

Luke wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. His head was spinning with this new information, torn between wanting to comfort Reid and trying to understand what all of this meant. Reid had lost his best friend because she was an alcoholic. Reid had given up so much for her, done everything humanly possible to save her, but he couldn't. A lot of things made sense to Luke, such as Reid's unrivaled determination to help his patients, his over all animosity toward the rest of the world. Reid's silence the night Luke told him about being an alcoholic.

He didn't want to, but suddenly Luke was pulling his hands away. His palms felt cold but it was strangely soothing. Slowly he stood, turning his back to Reid and running back hands through his hair. He needed a moment. He needed to think.

Behind him, he hears the bench creek.

"Joel's afraid you're only with me to make up for the fact that you couldn't save Jamie."

Luke's words are sudden, weak, and in all honesty, harsher than he means for them to be. A few paces back he hears Reid sigh. It's desperate and pathetic and it doesn't even sound like him.

"Yes, that's what Joel thinks."

"Is he right?" Luke asks instantly, spinning around to face Reid. His eyes are wet and weary with pain and confusion. His lips are quivering and Reid knows he's about to start crying again.

"God, no," Reid said immediately, stepping forward and taking Luke's face in his hands. "That night, when you told me everything, when you were honest with me, I wasn't honest with you. I was scared, Luke. I kept thinking, 'What if?' What if something did happen to you and I wasn't able to hold you up? What if I failed you like I failed Jamie? I couldn't handle it. So I shut down, and I hurt you. But that night, while you were asleep, I sat there thinking, watching you, and I realized something. Luke, I'm not with you because I have some hero complex, because you don't need a hero. You are the strongest person I have ever known and I don't doubt for even a second that you are more than capable of overcoming every challenge thrown at you. I doubted myself, and because of that I ended up doubting you. I know I can't apologize for that, but I can promise you that I have never doubted you again since that moment, and I never will again."

If Reid was planning to say anything more he never got the chance. Luke was suddenly hugging him, arms tight around his neck and refusing to let go. It took Reid by surprise at first but he settled into it quickly, arms holding Luke against him like his life depended on it, and for all he knew, it did.

Luke wasn't sure how long they stood there, just holding each other beneath the dull orange light overheard, before a breeze whipped through and caused him to shudder. Reid noticed and his grip loosened, hands sliding up to hold Luke's arms.

"You're not wearing a jacket," Reid pointed out. Luke laughed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. Reid smiled and reached up to help him.

"Yeah, well, you left in a bit of a hurry," smiled Luke. Reid began to run his hands up and down Luke's arms to warm him up, stepping close so their chests barely touched. Luke stepped into the gentle embrace, resting his head against Reid's chest and curling against him. Reid wasn't always a cuddler but there were times when he enjoyed it. Now was one of those times. His arms wrapped strongly around Luke, holding him close and rubbing his back. Reid was naturally very warm, something Luke loved about him. He curled closer, eyes falling shut as he breathed in the scent that was pure Reid.

"Come on, let's get you back before you catch a cold," said Reid soothingly. "The last thing I need is a sick boyfriend." Luke looked up to catch Reid grinning. He laughed again, shaking his head.

"Always the romantic," Luke smiled. Reid flashed him a grin.

They grudgingly untangled themselves. Reid's hand's took hold of Luke's face again, pulling him forward for a chaste kiss.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, resting his forehead against Luke's.

"Me too."


	10. Chapter 10

They walked quickly back to the house, trying to escape the cool air. Luke would shiver when the breeze would pick up and Reid would tighten his grip around Luke's shoulders. Luke's own arm was snaked around Reid's waist beneath his coat, his other arm bent upward, fingers tangled with Reid's hand on his shoulder. The walk was silent in an easy sort of way, both men leaning into one another and walking in step the decent walk from the park back to Joel's. As they turned back onto their street and approached the house, Reid heard Luke inhale sharply, his step faltering for only a moment and his shoulders noticeably tensing.

"You alright?" Reid asked, pausing at the bottom of the porch steps. Luke turned to him, trying to hide the frown on his face with a forced smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he nodded. Reid knew he was lying, so he dropped his arm from Luke's shoulder and reached for his hand, linking their fingers tightly.

"It's okay," he said, giving Luke a supportive smile. He leaned forward and kissed Luke on the forehead, his free hand brushing away some of the long blond strands of hair soothingly.

Luke's expression lightened and his squeezed Reid's hand. Reid led him up the stairs and opened the door. Together, they ventured into the house.

When they walked inside they found all the lights were still on and Joel was sitting at the kitchen table, bent over, his shoulders visibly tense.

Reid and Luke stood together in the doorway, hand in hand, watching as Joel looked up at them with a sad expression. He sighed and slowly stood up, taking only a step closer and making eye contact with Reid.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked carefully. Reid turned to Luke, who squeezed his hand and nodded before letting go. Turning back to Joel with tightly pressed lips, Reid nodded and stepped forward. Luke watched as the brothers disappeared down the other hallway, most likely to Joel's room. He sighed, trying to shake the nerves in his stomach before turning and slowly and retreating back to the guest room.

He fell onto the bed, sitting up and running a hand through his thick locks as a desperate sigh escaped his lips. His eyes were watering again though he couldn't name exactly why. Thoughts of Jamie, trying to picture what she looked like, her smile, her laugh, and trying to ignore the pain he saw in Reid's face as he concluded his story, mixed with his anxieties about Joel and what the brothers were saying on the other side of the house. His chest constricted painfully around his lungs and heart, which was already beating twice as fast as usual.

Luke fell back over the comforter, sprawled over the bed and keeping his ears attune to the sounds of the house, half expecting more yelling to pierce through the walls. They never came. It was silent, almost eerily so. Luke found himself rolling onto his side, his stomach, then onto his back, constantly moving just so he could hear the sound of the blankets shifting beneath him. Anything was better than the stillness around him.

As such, it was no surprise that he jumped at the sound of a knock on the door. He sat up quickly, trying to flatten his messy hair to no avail, wondering why Reid didn't just come in.

"It's unlocked," he called weakly, moving to the edge of the bed.

Much to his surprise, it wasn't Reid who opened the door. It was Joel.

"Hi," Joel said sheepishly, stepping only halfway into the room, his hand still gripping the door handle. Luke gulped.

"Hi." He couldn't seem to make himself move.

"Um, do you mind?" said Joel, gesturing into the room. Luke blinked, taking a moment for things to click.

"Oh, no, of course," he said quickly, finally standing up a little and motioning to a chair. Joel let the door fall shut behind him and took a seat. Luke sat back on the bed.

"I want to apologize to you, Luke," started Joel nervously. Luke immediately turned red.

"Joel, you don't have to-" he fumbled. Joel held up a hand to stop him.

"Reid's right, you don't hear apologies well," he said with a soft laugh. Luke smiled, turning brighter red. "But please, here me out. I need to say this to you."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Luke nodded for Joel to continue. The dark haired man sat up straight, wringing his hands nervously in his lap, just like his brother always did.

"I judged you too quickly," he began. "When I found out about your... problem, my mind went immediately to what Reid went through when we were younger, with Jamie." Joel looked up. Luke could tell that Reid had filled him in on how caught up Luke was. "It was a hard time, not just for Reid but for all of us. I had to watch my brother give up everything, his dreams for school, his social life, for this girl. I know he cared about her, and if it had been Liam or Adam, I would have done the same thing, but it didn't make it any easier.

"Reid use to be a lot less, well, he was happier, you know. He was sarcastic, sure, and he's always been an ass," he added with a snort that made both of them laugh, "but it was in a kindhearted way. He teased, he didn't hurt. But something about everything with Jamie changed him. He was colder, especially after she died. Reid blamed himself for such a long time. He left home, and not just the way everyone eventually does. He didn't just move out, he moved clear across the country, and he rarely came home to visit. My parents were actually surprised to see him at their 30th wedding anniversary six years ago.

"I know I'm just the younger brother, but while Reid was watching out for Jamie, I felt like it was my job to watch out for him, and even after everything, that feeling is still there. I was afraid that with you, he was just trying to make up for Jamie. In his mind, he failed her. I thought maybe you were his redemption."

Luke's lips turned into a frown, scratching the side of his face nervously as he stared at the ground. He heard the chair creak and turned his eyes upward to see Joel leaning forward a little, eyes earnest and desperate.

"But I know I was wrong. I saw the way you two were together, just hanging out around here but also at the wedding, and listening to him stick up for you like that..." Joel trailed off, shaking his head while reliving the scenes from the past few days. "I realized that I was wrong, and I'm sorry, to both of you. I didn't mean to dig up this can of worms or to screw things up. I know it was over the top and dramatic, but I was just trying to watch out for my brother."

Luke gave Joel a sad smile, shifting a bit on the bed and straightening his back. "I understand," he began, his voice raspy as first. "I have three younger siblings, and an older brother and sister. I probably would have done the same thing if I had been in your shoes, maybe worse," he said truthfully, laughing pathetically at himself. It seemed to make Joel relax, though. "And no one regrets more than I do what being with me has to be doing to Reid, the kind of pain I must bring up for him," Luke continued, his voice cracking a bit.

Ironically, Joel started laughing.

It wasn't a harsh laugh or even a carefree laugh, simply one of surprise. Luke looked up, almost annoyed, to see Joel staring back with kind eyes.

"You don't bring up pain for him, Luke," Joel insisted. "If anything, you help him to let go of the pain from when he first lost Jamie. He's held onto it for so long, and I'm convinced that is why he's so bitter. This weekend, though, I had more fun with my brother than I've had in years. Even when we were fighting, I saw more passion and genuine emotion than I've seen in longer than I can remember."

Something caught in Luke's throat, his eyes widening. Joel gave him an easy smile.

"I know he hasn't said it yet, but he loves you, Luke. Even in all this mess, that's the one thing I've been sure of the whole time."

Luke didn't gasp and his eyes didn't widen. In fact, he didn't seem surprised at all. He smiled, embarrassed and red in the cheeks, but his eyes never fell from Joel's, holding his gaze confidently.

"Yeah," he said. "I know."

They talked for a few more minutes before easy laughter once again fell between them. It was then that the door slowly creaked open, Reid's cautious face appearing in the door.

"Hello?" he asked carefully, trying not to smile at the sight of his boyfriend and his brother getting along and sharing a laugh.

"Hey," said Joel first. Luke just smiled at him, eyes silently inviting him to sit down. Reid moved quietly over to the bed, sitting beside Luke and resting his hand easily on his knee.

"I don't know if I should be relieved or terrified," said Reid. Luke laughed, leaning into him a little and bringing his hand to lay over Reid's.


End file.
